Richard Jefferson blasts fan for downplaying Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry - “You don’t know sports”

Former NBA player turned analyst Richard Jefferson disputed a fan's claim that the media manufactured a rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese when there was none.

Jefferson reposted the fan's post on X, formerly Twitter, and accompanied a detailed explanation of why Clark and Reese were rivals and had a similar rivalry to the NBA legends Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.

"You couldn’t be more wrong. Magic and Bird were forever tied together since college. Their rivalry started in college and continued thru the professional level. How many records did BOTH women break? Artificial? If you don’t know sports just say so," Jefferson tweeted.

The former Dallas Mavericks player made a compelling case for the Clark-Reese rivalry and compared it to the Bird-Magic rivalry. Both WNBA rookies were already rivals from their days as collegiate basketball players for Iowa and LSU, respectively.

Jefferson last worked for ESPN as an analyst; however, he is seen making appearances as a panelist and guest in sports shows and podcasts.

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese's rivalry comes to an early end

The rivalry between Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese was the talk of the WNBA this season. Both women have had incredible rookie seasons, shattering old records.

Reese made a name for herself as an elite rebounder and a double-double machine. She established the longest double-double streak in league history.

On the contrary, Clark made a name for herself as an elite all-round performer who was a true ring general with exceptional passing abilities and vision. The Fever rookie broke the record for most assists in a single game and leads in assists per game in the league this season.

The rivalry had the fanbase entertained but it came to an early end. Last week the Chicago Sky announced that Reese was out for the rest of the season with a season-ending wrist injury that she suffered in Friday's game against the Los Angeles Sparks.

There was an argument over who would receive the Rookie of the Year award, but now that Reese has retired for the rest of the season, Caitlin Clark is the most likely winner.